Iatrogenic plasticizer Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) exposure increases Sepsis mortality risk: Machine learning...

Sepsis poses a significant global health burden, and ICU patients are disproportionately exposed to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), an immunotoxic plasticizer that leaches from PVC medical devices; however, whether this exposure causally influences sepsis outcomes remains unclear. To investigate this relationship, we conducted a prospective cohort study comparing 90 ICU sepsis patients with 50 controls, quantifying urinary DEHP metabolites using LC-MS/MS. Sepsis patients demonstrated significantly elevated DEHP metabolite levels (p < 0.001), and high exposure (≥341.58 μg/g creatinine) was independently associated with reduced 28-day survival (35% vs 55%, p = 0.04; HR = 1.92, 95%CI:1.01-3.65). To identify the molecular mechanisms underlying this association, we integrated seven sepsis transcriptomic datasets with predicted DEHP targets, revealing 46 overlapping genes. Subsequently, machine learning algorithms (LASSO, SVM-RFE, and Random Forest) prioritized seven core genes, with SHAP analysis identifying MAPK14 as the predominant contributor. Molecular docking further confirmed high-affinity binding between DEHP and these target proteins. To establish causality, Mendelian randomization analysis using cis-eQTLs and FinnGen GWAS data demonstrated that genetically predicted higher MAPK14 expression increases sepsis susceptibility (OR = 1.18, p = 0.045). In conclusion, these findings provide converging evidence that high iatrogenic DEHP exposure is associated with increased sepsis mortality, potentially through MAPK14-mediated pathways, suggesting that DEHP exposure represents a modifiable risk factor in critical care settings and supporting the evaluation of DEHP-free alternatives for high-leach medical devices.